Taliban claim Afghan blast that killed 6 US troops

Afghan children stand near the wreckage of a vehicle after an explosion in Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 9, 2012. Three suicide bombers riding a three-wheeled vehicle blew themselves up Monday afternoon in Kandahar city, killing two children and wounding several other civilians, said Kandahar provincial spokesman Ahmad Jawed Faisal. He said authorities had not determined the target of the explosion. (AP Photo/Allauddin Khan)
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Afghan children stand near the wreckage of a vehicle after an explosion in Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 9, 2012. Three suicide bombers riding a three-wheeled vehicle blew themselves up Monday afternoon in Kandahar city, killing two children and wounding several other civilians, said Kandahar provincial spokesman Ahmad Jawed Faisal. He said authorities had not determined the target of the explosion. (AP Photo/Allauddin Khan)
/ AP

The Taliban routinely target Afghan government officials to weaken support for President Hamid Karzai's administration.

Also Monday, President Hamid Karzai condemned the public killing of a married Afghan woman who was accused of running off with another man.

In a statement, Karzai called the execution-style slaying an unforgiveable crime. A video of the killing, which surfaced recently, showed the woman being shot multiple times as people stood nearby, cheering.

Before it collapsed in 2001, the extremist Islamic Taliban regime carried out public executions of women, mostly for adultery.

Police in Shinwari district of Parwan province say the Taliban were behind the killing of the woman about 12 days ago.

Karzai's condemnation came as donor nations met in Tokyo to pledge $16 billion in aid for Afghanistan. The donors expressed strong concerns over how the money will be handled and also called on Kabul to improve human rights, especially women's rights.

"Such a crime is unforgivable in the sacred religion of Islam and the laws of the country," Karzai said.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul and the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces on Sunday also condemned the killing of the woman.

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Associated Press writers Amir Shah and Rahim Faiez in Kabul and Mirwais Khan in Kandahar contributed to this report.